Overview
The New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition evaluates how well the city is creating safe, accessible, equitable streets for all users—people walking, biking, rolling, taking transit, and driving. The 2025 Report Card highlights progress, persistent challenges, and priority actions needed to improve transportation safety, connectivity, and sustainability across the city.
Overall Grades
Walking & Bicycling: C-
Progress is uneven. ADA accessibility has improved, and overall traffic fatalities have begun to decline from a 2023 peak. However:
⅓ of transit stops lack sidewalk connections
Only 14% of signalized intersections have pedestrian signals
54% of intersections have compliant curb ramps
Fatalities among pedestrians and bicyclists remain unacceptably high, with 26+ deaths reported in 2025 through July
Bikeway expansion has slowed: 159 total miles, including 98 protected/dedicated (far short of Moving New Orleans Bikes targets)
Transit: C+
Conditions are improving but still lag behind riders’ needs.
Vehicle Revenue Hours (VRH): 774,202—still below 2019 levels
Job access by transit: Only 33.6% of jobs reachable in 60 minutes
Transit shelters: Just 15% of stops have shelters
On-time performance: ~76%
Opportunity Pass: Over 6,000 youth participants and 200,000+ rides in year one, with 75% riding weekly or daily
Other Complete Streets Priorities: B-
Stronger citywide momentum on climate resilience, equitable investment, and green infrastructure, but major vulnerabilities remain.
Green infrastructure: 72 small, 2 medium, 3 large public ROW installations; dozens more via private/community partners
Drainage: 63% of catch basins inspected since 2017; District E has the highest backlog (over 60% uninspected)
Climate vulnerability: Orleans Parish ranks in the 93rd percentile nationally
Housing + Transportation costs: Residents spend 49% of income on combined costs
Lafitte Greenway impact: 1,752 housing units built; $357M+ in development; over 440,000 sq ft of non-residential development
Top Priorities for 2026
To meaningfully advance Complete Streets goals, agencies must:
Adopt and implement the Safe Streets for All Action Plan
Finalize updated Complete Streets design + project selection guidelines
Fully implement the citywide School Zone safety program
Deliver Complete Streets upgrades on at least five priority corridors
Develop a sustainable funding plan for transit operations + Opportunity Pass
Improve accountability through routine reporting, evaluation, and public meetings
Key Takeaways
New Orleans is making real but inconsistent progress toward safer, more equitable streets.
Major gaps remain in sidewalk connectivity, pedestrian safety, transit reliability, bikeway completion, and climate resilience.
Dedicated funding, clearer standards, stronger accountability, and timely implementation are critical for meeting the city’s 2030 mobility and safety goals.